Soda-fountain-refrigerator installation



April 1931. R. 1.. ALEXANDER ET AL S ODA FOUNTAIN REFRIGERATOR INSTALLATION v Filed June 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l VE IEIEUS V I r. f HM a w 0% MM r0 I 3! m J) April 21, 1931. R. L. ALEXANDER ETAL 1,801,536

- SODA FOUNTAIN REFRIGERATOR INSTALLATION Filed June 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :I 50 2| i\ 2s M1 VE Hag gkwm M5.

Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT L. ALEXANDER AND HAROLD W. WISH ART, OF CLINTON, IOWA, ASSIGNORS TO OLIMAX ENGINEERING- CO., 0F CLINTON, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SODA-FOUNTAIN-REFRIGERATOR INSTALLATION Application filed. June 10,

In soda fountain equipment or fixtures it has been the practice to furnish an ice water tank and faucet to permit ice cold water to be served to customers with refreshments. It has been found, however, that by supplying the water tank with a cooling coil or unit that after a refrigerant has been run through the same for a period of time the Water in the supply tank and in the pipes leading to the faucet actually freezes, thereby not only making it impossible to serve water, but very often resulting in damage to the pipes and water tank.

T0 obviate the above dilficulties this invention has been developed to provide an improved water cooling unit for use in a soda fountain fixture, said unit being equipped with an improved by-pass or control valve mechanism adapted to automatically govern the temperature of the water in the water tank, thereby obviating any tendency of the water freezing, but still affording an arrangement whereby the water drawn from the supply tank will be sufficiently cold for servm Iliis invention relatesto an improved control mechanism for the water supply unit of a soda fountain refrigerator installation and is so arranged that the refrigerant passing through a water cooling unit may be automatically controlled to prevent the temperature of the water from dropping below a predetermined point.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a refrigerator installation for a soda fountain, said installation having an automatically operating by-pass control valve. connected in the refrigerant circulating system and operable by means of a control bulb filled with an expansible gas and located within the water chamber.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a soda fountain with a refrigerator installation, the water cooling unit of which has connected therewith a water temperature control valve connected in the refrigerating coils and circulating pipes and automatically operable by means of a gas control bulb or thermostatic mechanism located Within the 1927. Serial No. 197,796.

water supply compartment of the soda fountain.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings. v

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a soda fountain equipped with an improved refrigerator installation control valve embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the soda fountain with the cover remove-d taken on line II-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the refrigerator system removed from the soda fountam.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical detail section of the water temperature control valve taken on line IV-IV of Figure 2 with parts shown in elevation.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on lineV-V of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is another transverse section of the soda fountain taken on line VIVI of Figure 2.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates a soda fountain housing or cabinet provided with a removable top 2 on which a plurality of covers 3 are mounted. Supported along the rear edge of the cover 2 is a chambered top casing 4 provided with an ice water faucet 5 and a charged water faucet 6, together with a plurality of syrup and flavor dispensing units 7. The interior of the refrigerator housing 1 is equipped with a plurality of ice cream tanks or compartments 8 and a water tank or compartment 9. Also mounted within the housing 1 and in the walls thereof is a refrigerating unit or system comprising an ice cream cooling coil 10 mounted above a secondary coil 11. Mounted within a suitable recess in the front wall of the housing 1 is a distributing or connector plate 12 provided with four coupler unions 13, 14, 15, and 16. Mounted in the front insulated wall of the housing 1 is a refrigerant supply pipe 17 connected with any suitable source of refrigerant and having the inner end thereof connected with the union 13 of the plate 12. Also connected to the union 13 is one end of the ice cream cooling coil 10, the other end of which is connected to the coupler 15. Connected to the coupling 14 is one end of the secondary coil 11, the other end of which is connected to the connector 16. Also connected to the coupler 14 is one end of an auxiliary refrigerant return pipe 18 positioned within the front wall of the housing and having the other end thereof connected with a main refrigerant return pipe 19 leading back to the source of refri erant supply. Connected to the outlet of coil 10 through connector 15 is one end of a looped pipe which is mounted within the front wall of the housing 1 and has the other end thereof connected by the union 16 to the secondary coil 11, thereby permitting the refrigerant from the pipe 17 to flow through the coil 10 to the union 15 then through the looped pipe 20 back to the union 16 from which point the refrigerant is permitted to flow through the secondary coil 11 which leads through the union 14 to the auxiliary return pipe 18, permitting the refrigerant to flow into the main return pipe 19. It will thus be seen that the coils 10 and 11 are connected in series by the pipe 20 between the refrigerant supply pipe 17 and the refrigerant return pipe 19.

For the purpose of cooling the water within the water compartment or tank 9 a water cooling coil or unit 21 is mounted within the water compartment 9. Mounted within the front wall of the housing 1 is a second connector or distributing plate 22 having unions 23 and 24 mounted therein. Connected into the refrigerant loop 20 is one end of an auxiliary supply pipe 25, the other end of which is connected to an inlet passage 26 formed in one end of a water temperature control valve housing 27 supported on a bracket plate 28 mounted on the lower front face of the front wall of the housing 1 or in any other suitable position. Connected with an outlet passage 28 in the valve housing 27 is one end of a pipe 29, the other end of which is connected with the union 24 on the coupling plate 22. Also connected to the union 24 is one end of an auxiliary supply pipe 30 which leads to the intake end of the water cooling coil 21. Leading from the outlet end of the water coil 21 is one end of a pipe 31, the other end of which is connected to the coupler 23 to permit the refrigerant after passing through the water coil 21 to be returned by means of an auxiliary return ipe 32 to the main refrigerant return pipe 19. It will thus be noted that the water coil 21 is shunted between the refrigerant coil 20 and the return pipe 19.

For the purpose of controlling the flow of refrigerant through the water cooling coil or unit 21 an improved water temperature control valve mechanism is connected in the pipe system between the pipes 25 and 29, as hereinbefore described. The control valve mechanism comprises the valve housing or block 27 to the bottom of which is rigidly secured by any suitable means a lower casing section 33 having a chamber 34 therein. Mounted within the chamber 34 is a bellows 35, one end of which is connected to a disk 36 formed on a passaged collar or sleeve 37 which slidably projects through the externally threaded shank 38 of an adjustment or range nut 39 which is adjustably engaged in a threaded opening provided in the lower central portion of the lower casing section 33. Projecting into the outer end of the sleeve 37 is one end of a tube 40 hermetically sealed at 41 where the tube 40 enters the sleeve 37, as illustrated in Figure 4. The tube 40 projects rearwardly through the front wall of the housing 1 and projects into the water compartment or tank 9. Engaged on the inner end of the tube 40 within the water tank 9 is a control bulb 41 which is filled with an expansible gas such as methyl chloride which will readily expand or contract, depending upon the temperature of the water within the tank 9 so that the gas contained within the bulb 41 may pass through the tube 40, through the passaged sleeve 37, and into the bellows The other end of the bellows is connected to a flange or disk 42 which is integrally formed on a nut or cap 43 provided within the chamber 34 and having threaded therein the threaded end of an assembly screw or bolt 44 which passes through acontrol valve 45 which is normally held seated against a valve seat 46 within the valve housing 27 by means of a coiled control spring 46a, the upper end of which seats within a recess or pocket 47 formed within a closure head or cap 48 which is removably threaded in a threaded opening provided in the upper portion of the valve housing 27. A lead gasket 49 is provided between the valve housing 27 and the closure head 48. Mounted on the assembly bolt or screw 44 between the valve 45 and the cap 43 is a collar 50 provided with a flange or disk 51 to which one end a bellows seal 52 is connected. The lower end of the bellows seal is provided with a flange which is soldered or otherwise sealed to valve block 27. Positioned between the valve 45 and the collar 50 and surrounding the assembly bolt 44 is a lead gasket 54. The bellows seal 52 is mounted within an intake chamber 55 with which the refrigerant intake or inlet passage 26 communicates. Provided in the valve casing 27 above the intake chamber 55 is an outlet chamber 56 separated from the inlet chamber 55 by the control valve 45. The control valve 45 is adapted to be opened by the bellows 35 by the expansion action which in turn is controlled by the expansion and contraction of the gas within the control bulb 41 positioned within the water compartment or tank 9, so that the refrigerant from the main refrigerant supply pipe 17 flowing through the coil 20 may pass through the control valve mechanism when the valve 45 is open and then flow through the water cooling coil 21 to be returned by way of the return pipes 32 and 19 to the source of refrigerant supply. It will thus be noted that when the temperature of the water within the tank 9 drops below a predetermined degree that the gas within the control bulb 41 will contract, thereby permitting the control spring 46a to hold the Valve 45 in closed position so that the refrigerant from the coil 20 will not be permitted to pass through the control valve mechanism, but will be shunted around the same through the coil 20 to the secondary coil 11 to be returned to the refrigerant return pipe 19 by way of the auxiliary return pipe 18, thereby adding extra 0011 surface to the brine compartment when the control valve is closed.

It will thus be noted that the improved refrigerator installation for the soda fountain is arranged with a water temperature control valve mechanism mounted upon the soda fountain housing 1 or in any other suitable place and having connected therewith a gas filled control bulb or thermostatic mechanism 41 which is positioned within the water supply tank 9 so that the gas within the bulb is expanded or contracted, depending upon the temperature of the water, thereby affording a means for automatically controlling the operation of the valve 45 to control the flow of the refrigerant so that the same is either permitted to be shunted through the water compartment cooling coil 21 when the valve 45 is open or permitted to contlnue its flow through the coil 20 and through the secondary coil 11 without passing through the water compartment cooling coil 21 when the temperature of the water is below a predetermined degree at which time the gas within the control bulb 41 is contracted permitting the control valve 47 to hold the valve 45 in its closed position. It will thus be noted that a very simple device has been provided for use in connection with a soda fountain refrigerator installation whereby the water in the water supply tank 9 of the soda fountain may be maintained at a predetermined temperature without any danger of the water in the water pipes or tank freezing, thereby impairing the proper operation of the water supply apparatus.

l/Ve are aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A soda fountain refrigerator installation comprising a refrigerant system having a supply pipe and a return pipe, an ice cream cooling coil, an intermediate pipe, and a secondary ice cream cooling coil connected in series in said refrigerant supply system, a water cooling compartment having a water cooling coil connected between said intermediate pipe and said return pipe, a water temperature control valve connected with said water cooling coil, and a thermostat bulb located in said water cooling compartment and connected with said control valve to govern the operation thereof to control the flow of a refrigerant from said intermediate pipe through said water cooling coil by means of the effect of the water temperature on an expansible gas in the thermostat bulb.

2. A refrigerator installation compris ing a refrigerant system having a supply pipe and a return pipe, a primary ice cream cool ing coil, a secondary ice cream cooling coil, an intermediate pipe connecting the coils in series between the supply and return pipes, and a thermostatically controlled Water cooling coil connected in parallel with the said secondary coil.

3. A refrigerator installation comprising a refrigerant system having a supply pipe and a return pipe, an ice cream cooling coil comprising primary and secondary coil elements connected in series between the supply pipe and the return pipe, a water cooling coil connected in parallel with said secondary coil, and thermostatic valve means connected with the said water cooling coil to 1 control the flow of refrigerant through the said water cooling coil.

4. A refrigerator installation comprising a refrigerant system having a supply pipe and a return pipe, an ice cream cooling coil and a water cooling coil connected in series between the supply pipe and the return pipe, a secondary ice cream cooling coil connected in parallel with said water cooling coil, and thermostatic valve means connected in series with said water cooling coil to vary the flow of refrigerant therethrough and thereby vary the flow of refrigerant through the said secondary coil.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Clinton, Clinton County, Iowa.

ROBERT L. ALEXANDER. HAROLD W. VVISHART. 

